Vania



W. LARKIN.

YARN CHANGER. APPLICATION FILED nsc. 27. ms.

m 9L 1U 6 4 m Mm 03 w n m P W. LARKIN.

YARN CHANGER. I APPLICATION FILED DEC.21. l9l6- Patented Nov. 16, 1920. V 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- W. LARKIN. YARN CHANGER. APPLICATION FILED DEC.27. 1916- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER LAnx N, or- PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR To H. BRINTON coMPANY, or PHILADELPHIA, PEN SYLVANIA, A CORPOR TION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

YARN-CHANGER.

- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

Application filed December 27, 1916. Serial No. 139,120.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER LARKIN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented Yarn-Changers, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide a compact and positive thread or yarn changing mechanism, especially adapted for use on Dogless and French welt knitting machines, whereby it shall be possible to alter the color or weight of the thread delivered to the needles without the formation of long ends at the points of junction of the different threads and the consequent necessity, in the case of striping machines, for the subsequent removal of such ends which would otherwise mar the face of the fabric.

Another object of the invention is to so guide the thread at the time of change, that it leads away from. the needles in such a drection as to prevent the possibility of its being licked into them and kept outeof the shears ;the thread feeding fingers being so placed as to impart considerable'tension to that portion of the thread extending from the active finger, through the shears and across the needles.

. It is further desired to providea thread or yarn changer which shall include means for positively moving the thread feeding fingers in both directions ;the arrangement being such as to insure leading the thread into the shears and withdrawing it from the needles at definite times.

I also desire to provide a novel means for supporting the thread feeding fingers and shears in definite relation to the needles of a knitting machine, with a view .to obtaining the above noted objects and especially for the purpose of eliminating the long loose knitted-in ends of the thread which ordinarily occur at the points'of change.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a striping machine'withan attachment whereby it shall be possible to utilize it for making French welts;

These objects and ence being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

other advantageous ends I secure as hereinafter set forth, refer- Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a I circular knitting machine illustrating my in--' vention as applied thereto; F Flgi. 2 is a plan of the structure shown in Fig. 3 is a plan of my threadchanging mechanism taken at right angles to the plane of movement of the thread-feeding fingers;

Figs. 4 and 5 are sections on the lines 4-4 and 5-5, Fig.- 3, illustrating the'detail construction of certain parts of the device;

Fig. 6' is a detached perspective of the shears;

Fig.7 is a fragmentary section illustratingthe arrangementof the shear blades;

I igs.' "8 and 9 are fragmentary plans, to some extent diagrammatic, illustrating the operation of my invention;

Fig. 10 is a section plan view on the line 10-10, Fig. 1; and

11is a perspective of certain of the parts shown in Fig. 10.

" In the above drawings, 1 represents the stationary supporting plate or base of a circular knitting machine having a rotary cam ring 2 from which a pair of standards 3 project upwardly for the support of a cross bar 4 carrying a dial post 5. This latter carries a dial with its associated needles, and these latter are actuated bysuitable cams support-- ed by a cam plate 6.

Mounted on theu pper edge of the cam ring 2 so as to project substantially parallel with itsaxis of rotation, are two posts 7 supporting a casting. 8 which includes a lug 9 having flat top andbottom faces lying in a plane at about 30 to the horizontal. Extending through this lug in a line perpendicular to its inclined faces is a bolt or stud 10 having rotatably mounted on it a pair of thread guides or fingers 11 and 12, for which purpose the top. of the lug is transversely slotted for the reception of-a flat plate 13. This carries an arm Hand a sleeve 15, of which the latter forms a journal for the lower finger 12.

- Also mounted on the bolt 10 above the a washer 18; this latter being engaged by a nut 19 threaded on the bolt whereby said determined times I sleeves and washers are rigidly clamped together while the two guides 11 and 12, being of slightly less thickness than the sleeves, are left free to turn on the latter. Each of said thread guides has two notches 20 and 21 on one edge, of which those of the upper guide 11 are placed to be engaged by a spring-pressed dog 22, while those of the second or lower finger 12 are likewise positioned so that either of them may be entered by a second spring-pressed dog 23;the arrangement being such that in both cases the fingers tend to remain in either of two positions.

The dogs 22.and 23, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, are slidably mounted in a block 24 carried by the arm 14 and the thread guides are so proportioned and mounted that their thread guiding ends or eyelets are immediately adjacent the cylindrical surface defined by the outer edges of the needles, when said guides are held in their inner or active ositions by reason of the engagement 0 the dogs 22 or 23 with the inner one of their notches. When the second or outer of the notches is engaged by its dog, the guide is held thereby with its feeding end away from and elevated relatively to its former position adjacent the needle c linder.

Each of the thread guldes is of substan t1ally L-shaped form and as shown in Fig. 3, is ivotally supported about the middle of its s orter rm, which in the case of the guide 11 has a projecting lug 25, while the same arm of the second guide 12 has a similar lug 26. In addition the thread guide 11 adjacent the point has an outwardly projecting lug 27 at which point the thread guide 12 likewise has a similar lug 28.

For actuating the thread guides at premount on the fixed late 1 a tubular guiding standard 29, in w hich is vertically slidable a rod 30 having fixed to its upper end a plate 33. On the top surface of the plate 15 bolted a cam plate 34 having an active edge 32 placed at such distance from the vertical center line of the needle cylinder that when raised to the proper levels, it is capable of engaging either of the lugs 25 or 26 of the thread guides to swing the inner ends of the latter from their outer positions into positions immediately adjacent the cylinder needles. This plate 34 has an extension 34 having an active edge 35 so placed as to coact with a shear operating arm 48 hereafter described.

second vertically slidable rod 31 1s guided in the base plate 1 and in a projecting portion 36 of the standard 29, having its upper end fixed to the plate 33. An arm 37 is pivoted on this rod 31 and while at one end itcarries a its second end is clamped in any adjusted position by a bolt 40 which passes through of junction of its arms ivided with two pro ecting pair of rollers 38 and 39.,

as to be capable of respectively cooperating with the lugs 27 and 28 ofthe thread guides to swlng them on their supporting structure to withdraw their thread delivering ends from positions djacent the needle cylinder. l\ormally the rods 30 and 31 support the cam plate 32 and rollers 38 and 39 at such levels that they cannot engage the lugs on the yarn gui es as the latter are rotated with the cam .ylinder 2, but by any suitable means forming'no part of the present invention, they may be periodically raised so as to bring said cam plate 32 to either of two levels, on one of which it will engage the lug 25 and in the'other, the lug 26., The rollers 38 and 39 are so laced that when the late 32 engages the ug 25 for example, tiie roller 39 will engage the lug 28, andwhen said plate is placed to engage 1the l zig 26, the roller 38 will engage the Hg 2 p The supportin structure 8 in additiOn to the above descri ed thread guides or fingers and their associated parts, likewise carries an arm 42 which projects toward the eedle cylinder and at its inner end has rotatably mounted in t a pivot spindle 44 on whose lower end i fixed a scissors or shear blade 43. Said arm 42 is so mounted that the pivot pin 44 extends substantially parallel to the bolt or stud 10 on which the thread guides are mounted so that the shear blade 43 is movable in a plane substantially parallel to said guides.

L kewise mounted on the pin or post 44- in engagement with the blade 43 is a second shear blade 45 which however is held from movement by reason of its being prolugs 46 which extend on either side of the arm 42. Immediately. above and in contact with the second shear blade 45 is a third or holding blade 47 somewhat similar in form to the shear blade 43 and caused to move with the same upon the post 44 by means of a cam actuated bar 48 whose inner end is turned up as indicated at 49 so as to pivotally enter two holes 50 and 51 in the adjacent ends of the blades 43 and 47.

The outer end of this bar extends through and is guided by a plate 52 bolted to the outer endv of the arm 42 and is normally held in its outer position with the shear between its inner end 49 and the plate 52. Thepost 44 on which the shear blades are mounted extends through the inner end of the arm 42 and has on its upper end a washer V blades closed by a spring 53 which extends on its pivot so as to bring its thread ering end into aposition immediately ad acent the needles. f

Owing to the posltion of the shears as.

' well as to that of sumed that one color of thread is being delivered to the cylinder needles by the lower thread guide 12, thread of a second color then extends through the upper thread guide 11 and thence to the shears, where its end is frictionally held between the blade 47 and the upper. shear, blade 45;the shears being closed, (Fig. 3).

After a predetermined number of rows has been knit from the thread delivered by 12, suitable controlling. mechathe guide the rod 31 to elevate the strucnism acts on tures carried thereby to such a position that the cam plate 32 is brought into a plane mc'luding the projecting lug 25 ofthe thread guide 11, and a-subsequent engagement of said lug with the plate 32 swings this the extremity of this guide, Fig. 8, the second thread is thus moved directly across the descending edge of the needle wave at such an angle and in such a position that it is necessarily and certainly engaged by one of the needles and at once is knitted into the fabric sufficiently to beheld in place. Immediately thereafter the continued revolution of the cam cylinder brings the projecting end of the arm 48 into engagement with the cam plate 34, forcing it in so as to open the shears and thus release the end of the second thread.

At or about the time of opening of the shears the lower one of the rollers 39 comes into engagement with the projecting lug.

28 of the lower thread guide 12, swinging its thread delivering end outwardly and positively withdrawing the thread served by it from the needles. Owing to the position of the shears whose blades are now open, (Fig. 9) and to the direction in which this first strand of thread, runs from the open shear blades which needles, it is at once carried between the are timed to immediately shut by reason of the disengagement-pf the arm 48 from the main part of the cam plate 34?:Such closing of the shears not only cuts the first thread but leaves one end thereof .25 so as to swing frictionally held between the.

upper shear blade 45 and the plate 47,-while its other end .is knitted. into the fabric. Possible damage to the shear blades is prevented by the auxiliary cam plate 345 whose active edge 35 lies farther away from the cylinder than the edge 32 and receives the end of the bar 48 after this-has been disengaged by the cam 34.

From the above description it will be obvious that not only is the second thread so knltte'd into the fabric that it leaves practically no projecting end, but the first strand is cut off by the shears so close to the needles that the amount of overlap of the two threads is a minimum and it is practically certain that. the ends shall not be visible. Obviously this desirable object is due to the fact that the thread guides and shear are arranged as specified, at an acute angle to the horizontal which makes possible the peculiar placing of these elements relatively to the knitting wave of the needles.

When it is desired toutilize a machine equipped with the invention above described for French welt work, I mount in the cam cylinder 2 a vertically extending spindle 60 having fixed to its upper end an arm 61 which projects horizontally adjacent the arm 25 of the thread guide 11 for example.

This spindle has mounted on it a coiled spring 62, having its ends respectively fixed to the'cam cylinder 2 and to said spindle in such manner as to at all times tend to cause Y the arm 61 to engage and act upon the arm the thread guide away from the needle cylinder and the lower end of the spindle has fixed to it in any suitable manner,'a lever 63 of which one arm pro-' jects outwardly a short distance above the surface of the structure 1 in position 'to be engaged by a cam arm 64 carried by said structure when it has been brought by suit-.

able mechanism to the proper level.

Between this lever 63 and the top surface of the structure 1 is pivotally mounted a latch 65 at all times pressed toward said lever 63 by a suitable spring 66 and mounted under the latter in position to be also engaged by said cam arm under certain conditions.

the form of a hook whereby the lever 63 may be held in a retracted position with the spindle 60 and arm 61 held against the action of the spring62 in such position that said arm is immediately adjacent but practically inoperative upon the thread guide 11 when this is in its thread delivering position. The second arm of the lever 63 is so The outer end of said latch has placed that after the latch 65 has been swung on its pivot to release this lever, it is retained in a retracted position until the lever has been moved by the cam arm 64 into engagement with the hook of said latch.

' feeds instead As shown in Fig. 10, when the latch is in such position that its hook holds the lever 63, its outer extremity projects sufliciently to be engaged by the cam arm 64 when the latter is brought to the level of the top of the structure 1. r

In order-to equip the machine for French welt work, it-is necessary, in addition to the arm (51 with its associated parts, to'provide a second thread feeding attachment, which as shown in Fig. 2, may be an absolute duplicate of that above described except that it does not include said arm and its actuating mechanism. lVithout further describing this duplicate attachment, it is suflicient to note that its two thread guides 11 and 1.2 with the'idjacent shears and their actuating and controlling members are operated by the cam elements 32 and 38 in the same manner as and immediately after the actuation of the thread guides and shares 11, 12,

etc, as previously described.

lVith such an arrangement of parts, striped goods may be made as before although in this case there'are two thread of one in operation at any and when French welt work is to be made, the cylinder needles adjacent the thread guides 11 and 12 are raised to the tuck point by suitable mechanism, so that they are prevented from casting off their stitches or loopsand the dial needles adjacent the thread guides 11 and 12' are placed by other suitable, mechanism, at the welt point. The cam arm 64: is likewise so operated as to be brought into engagement with the latch 65, thus causing freeing the lever 63 from the, latch 65 and permitting the spindle 60 to turn under the action of the spring 62 into a position in which the arm 61 engages the thread guide arm 25. The thread guide 11 is therefore moved a short distance away from the cylinder needles, which however is suflicient to prevent the thread being delivered to said needles given time,

while still allowing it to be fed to the dial,

needles.

As a consequence of the above described arrangement, the dial needles knit one part .the projecting arm of the lever 63,

of the welt while the cylinder needles adjacent the thread guides 11 and 12 (of which but one is delivering thread) knit the other part of the welt. A characteristic French welt is thus formed and after a desired length has been knitted, the cam arm 64 is raised to such 'a position as to engage thus swinging it inwardly until it is engaged and held by the hooked end of the latch 65.. At the same time the spindle and arm 61 are turned sufiiciently to permit the thread guide 11 to return to a position in which thread is delivered to the needles.

In order that this action shall be possible,

adjacent cylinder it is to be understood that the arm 61 is so mounted that while it moves the thread delivering end of the guide 11 far enough away from the cylinder needles to prevent them receiving said thread, the spring pressed dog 22 merely-rides up on the side of the inner notch in said thread guide without being caused to pass over into the outer notch. Consequently said thread guide is free to return to its thread delivering posi-' tion under the action of said dog 22.

At the same time that the thread guide 11 is permitted to move into its thread delivering position, the adjacent cylinder needles are likewise permitted to rise to their knitting positions, while at the opposite side of the machine the dial needles are also permitted to move from the welt point to positions in which they knit.

By utilizing the above described method and apparatus for the formation of French welts, I obviate what I have found to be the objectionable possibilityof the thread being cut by the latches of certain of the dial needles as said latches are moved to their closed positions. With my apparatus arranged and operated as described, the cylinder needles, being held at the tuck point, definitely position the thread on the adjacent dial needles during the knitting of the welt, so that the latches of these latter needles operate in the proper manner without possibility of injury to said thread. When the welt is made in the ordinary manner the thread is free to assume any of a number of positions on the dial needles, since so far as I am aware, it has not hitherto been definitely positioned and when the latches of said needles are closed, they pinch and frequently actually out the thread in case it does not move upon the needles with the utmost freedom.

By mounting the yarn fingers with their axis of oscillation inclined to the center line to so mount the shears that the distance from the thread to the eye of the finger is materially shorter than would be the case if said needles oscillated on an axis in one case at right angles to the center line of the cylinder or on an axis parallel with said center line. Moreover it makes possible the utilization of yarn finger structures of simple and inexpensive construction since they are made'of flat material and have their cam actuated lugs both extending in the plane of the body portion.

I claim- 1. The combination with the cylinder and needles of a circular knitting machine, of a thread guide mounted to move in a plane inclined to the center line of said cylinder; with means for moving said guide positively both into and out of a position in which it of the cylinder as described, I am enabled 1 point'at which they engage a.

deliversthread to the' needles; andshears mounted to cooperate with the' thread guide in holding the thread; under predetermined conditions, in a line extending across the path of the needles.

2. The combination with the cylinder and needles of a circular knitting machine of a structure mounted to extend in a line pivot ed to the centerline of the cylinder;

inc'

a lever mounted on said structure and having a thread delivering opening; and means in lanes substantially parallel with the descending edge of the needle wave; with means for-moving said guides into and out of positions with their thread delivering portions in radial alinement with said wave edge. i

4. The combination with the cylinder and needles of a' circular knitting machine of a l plurality of thread guides mounted to swing in planesw inclined to the center line of said cylinder; means for positively movmg said guides into and out of positions in which thread is delivered to the needles ;.and means i for temporarily holding the ends of the threads within the circleof the needles at predetermined times in the operation of the machine.

5. The combination with the cylinder and needles of a circular knitting machine'of a plurality of thread guides mounted to swing inplanes substantially parallel with the descending edge of the needle wa'veand each having two actuating lugs; means 'for alternately engaging the lugs of eachguide to alternately move the latter into a position in radial falinement withsaid wave edge;

andmeans for severing the thread from each .guide when it has been moved to its outer position. 4

6. The

' in planes substantially parallel with the deguide when it has been moved to its outer position; and means for holding the thread after it has been severed. v 7 The combination with the cylinder and needles of a circular lmitting machine of a plurality of thread guides mountedto swing in planes inclined to the center line of the said lever on the pivot structure which the needles operate,

.is moved to its inner combination with the cylinder and needles of a circular knitting machine of aplurality of thread guides mounted to swingv adjacent said wave edge;

dial needles only.

cylinder and each havin a plurality of actuating lugs respective y projecting in parallel planes; with cam mechanism for alternately engaging said lugs of each ya'rn guide to move it into and-out of..pos1tion to deliver yearn to the needles.

8. The COIllblDfitlOll' with the cylinder and needles of a circular knitting machine of a thread guide; guide to positively move its thread deliverportion both 7 to and out of a position ad acent the .needles; means for severing the thread; and means for holding the end of the thread in position to lead it at an acute'angle across the cylindrical surface in when the guide osition.

9. The combination in a chine of a plurality of thread guides; a

thread cutting device; means for actuating.

said guides to cause thread to be alternately delivered from them; means for causing the cutting device to sever a thread when it is withdrawn from the needles; and a device independent of said guide-actuating means for causing one of the guides to move to a position in which it delivers thread to the dial-needleswithout delivering itto the cylinder needles. 1

10. The combination in a knitting machine of two thread guides each having an operating arm; a-spindle having a projectingarm placed to engage the operating arm of one of said guides to move the latter one direction; means for rotating said spindle to cause the arm to act on the thread guide; and cam mechanism mountedt'o eriodically actuate the operating arms 0 the two guides under predetermined conditions. 11. The combination in a knitting machine of two thread guides each having an operating arm; cam means for positively actuating said arms in both directions to move the guides into and out of operative positions; and an .independentmember for actuatin one of said guides to a less extent than sai cam means.

12. The combination in a knitting machine having cylinder and dial needles; thread guides; means for moving said 'des into and out of ositions in which thread is delivered to said needles; and an dial knitting a..-

means for actuating said. v

auxiliary device ofor moving one I of said thread guides from a position in which it delivers thread to both sets of needles, to a position in which it delivers thread to the 13. The cOmbmation ina knitting machine ha ing either guide 0 each set into and out of positions in which thread is delivered to said needles; and an auxiliary device for moving one of said thread guides from a pocylinder and dial needles; 4 two sets of t read guides; means for movmechanism operative to move said guides alternately into and out of operative positions; with a combined shearing and thread holding device positioned to hold the thread leading from any inoperative thread guide.

15. The combination with the cylinder and needles of a circular knitting machine of a plurality of thread guides mounted to turn on an axis inclined at an acute angle to the center line of the cylinder and each having a throw-in and a throw-out projection one above the other; with a cam device automatically adjustable to engage either of the throw-in lugs and including a portion positioned to engage the throw-out lug,

of that guide-other than the one whose, throw-in lug waslast engaged.

16. The combination with the cylinder and needles of a circular knitting machine of a plurality of thread guides mounted to turn on an axle inclined at an acute angle to the center line of the cylinder and each having a throw-in and a throw-out projection one above the other; with a cam (leViC-t, automatically adjustable to engage either of the throw-in lugs and including a portion positioned to engage the throw-out lug of that guide other than the one whose throw-in lug was last on a'ged, the throw-in lugs of said guides al lying above the throw-out lugs.

17. The combination with the cylinder and needles of a circular knitting machine of a plurality of thread guides mounted to turn on an axis inclined at an acute angle to the center line of the cylinder and each having a throw-in and a throw-out projection one above the other; with a cam device automatically adjustable to engage either of the throw-in lugs and including a portion positioned to engage the throw-out lug of that guide other than the one whose throw-in lug was last engaged; with a device positioned to cut and hold the thread from any guide when it is actuated by engagement of its throw-out lug with the cam device.

ing one above the other;

18. The combination with the cylinder and needles of a circularknitting machine of a plurality of thread guides'pivotally mounted to turn on an axis inclined at an acute angle to the center line of the cylinder and each formed with a throw-in and a throw-out lug respectively projecting in two planes; with two cams automatically adjustable into and out of said planes respectively and mounted so that when one cam engages the throw-in lug of one guide the other cam will engage the throw-out lug of the other guide.

19. The combination with the cylinder and needles of a circular knitting machine of a plurality of thread guides m unted to turn on an axis inclined at an acute angle to the center line of the cylinder and each having a throw-in and a throw-out lug projecting one above the other; cam mechanism for alternately engaging the two lugs of each guide; with a shearing device including a blade also mounted to turn on an axis at an acute angle to the needle cylinder and positioned to cut a thread from any guide when the latter has been moved by mechanism to an inactive position.

20. The combination with the cylinder and needles of a circular knitting machine of a plurality of thread guides mounted to turn on an axis inclined at an acute angle to the center line of the cylinder and each having a throw-in and a throw-out lug projectcam mechanism for alternately engaging the two lugs of each guide; with a shearing device including a blade also mounted to turn 011 an axis at an acute angle to the needle cylinder and positioned to cut a thread from any guide when the latter has been moved by the cam mechanism to an inactive position, said shearing device being adjustable to vary the relative time of its operation.

21. The combination with the cylinder and needles of a circular knitting machine of a thread guide mounted to osclllate in a plane substantially parallel. with the descendin edge of the needle wave and having a throw-in and a throw-out lug; cam mechanism automatically adjustable to operate on said lugs alternately. to cause the guide to be moved into and out of a'position in which thread is delivered to the needles.

In witness whereof I afiix m WIALTER EAR (IN.

the cam si nature. 

